as in joining
to become a friend to (someone)
He befriended the new student.
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Recent Examples of befriending
Still, others are happiest at a considered farm stay or upstate hideaway, where the pleasure lies in quiet mornings and befriending animals on the farm.
—
Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
After meeting and befriending a single mother and her three daughters, Wildhorn begins to open up and regains his passion for writing.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Then our hero traps and wounds a Night Fury, a uniquely evasive and dangerous breed of dragon, and winds up secretly befriending it.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
In the book, Ronson recalled befriending Ethan, who at the time was roommates in New York City with Simon Rex.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Players will also be able to create their own legacy by befriending villagers, creating alliances or causing general mischief.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 11 Nov. 2025
In the latter, Ladd played Flo, a candid and cutting waitress who shows her softer side while befriending Ellen Brustyn’s Alice.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
In the August 13 episode, the two were discussing with Kelce’s brother and co-host Jason Kelce, how Travis had a goal in life of rescuing and befriending a sea otter.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
But the blind man ends up befriending the creature, having no sense of its frightening demeanor.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Livia Caligor, Architectural Digest, 23 Dec. 2025
After meeting and befriending a single mother and her three daughters, Wildhorn begins to open up and regains his passion for writing.
—Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 20 Dec. 2025
Then our hero traps and wounds a Night Fury, a uniquely evasive and dangerous breed of dragon, and winds up secretly befriending it.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
In the book, Ronson recalled befriending Ethan, who at the time was roommates in New York City with Simon Rex.
—Rachel Desantis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025
Players will also be able to create their own legacy by befriending villagers, creating alliances or causing general mischief.
—Meredith G. White, AZCentral.com, 11 Nov. 2025
In the latter, Ladd played Flo, a candid and cutting waitress who shows her softer side while befriending Ellen Brustyn’s Alice.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 3 Nov. 2025
In the August 13 episode, the two were discussing with Kelce’s brother and co-host Jason Kelce, how Travis had a goal in life of rescuing and befriending a sea otter.
—Carolyn Burt, Oc Register, 16 Oct. 2025
But the blind man ends up befriending the creature, having no sense of its frightening demeanor.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 30 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for befriending
Verb
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Prior to joining Cabot in 2019, Reed won four state championships while at El Dorado.—
Tom Murphy,
Arkansas Online,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Left Arrow Right Arrow The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won't be joining the John Harbaugh sweepstakes or any head coaching search, for that matter, heading into 2026.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Legion Pro Rollable lets players train in conditions closer to tournament play, even while traveling.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Jan. 2026
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The Santa Rosa Police Department said in a press release that officers responded to multiple reports of a shooting at the mall and found a 15-year-old boy who had been shot, with the bullet traveling through his body, leaving entry and exit wounds in his upper shoulder and mid-back area.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The neighborhood/area The hotel has a plum position on the Eendrachtsplein, a buzzy town square in the heart of the city with trams, buses, and a metro line connecting it to all corners of town.—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
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The film stars Sally Field as a widow who bonds with a giant Pacific octopus, while also connecting with a young man (Lewis Pullman) in need of direction.—
Ryan Gajewski,
HollywoodReporter,
7 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Befriending.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/befriending. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
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